One of my amazing clients was asking me for the perfect farmhouse desk for her home. Her options varied from executive and L-shaped desks to antique writing and computer desks.

With so many options it can be difficult to select the right one.

So, today I want to share five tips on choosing the perfect farmhouse desk for your home to help you get down to the right one for you or your loved one.

No. 1 – Pick a Style

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Don’t ignore your home!

Select furniture you will love for years to come. I rarely meet anyone who says “I’m buying this just to throw it away and find something else 30 days from now.”

Take your time and explore every option with these guidelines below. You will find a desk for you in no time.

What is the Right Style & Color?

That question can’t be answered alone. It needs to be answered in the context of the entire room that you want to imagine or design.

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Begin by imagining how you want the room to be designed, and how the desk you are considering will look in your room.

Which room have you chosen?

What colors and style are you choosing for that room?

Are you looking for darker wood tones or chippy shabby distressed tones, or modern tones, or antique tones. Narrowing down what you are drawn to helps you to get into a lane or a style that you can start to select from.

For me, I like colors that compliment my room. When selecting a color for my farmhouse desk, I look for:

• softer grays
• natural woods
• bleached woods
• reclaimed woods
• other similar tones.

These colors are flexible and let you do a lot with the design of the room.

If you’d like your whole home office to fit with the French farmhouse theme, click here for more tips.

No. 2 – Look for Forgiving Surfaces

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Look for a surface that can take a beating. Delicate desks may not endure the heavy wear and tear of laptops, binders, and books.

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Consider distressed surfaces like rustic wood tones and raised grains so it looks more beautiful with use.

No. 3 – Tailor Storage to YOUR Needs

Look for something that has the best storage for you. If you don’t prioritize storage, writing tables or an antique style desk is the way to go.

You may be the opposite and want a spot for everything, especially in your home office. In that case, look for great drawers and storage that meet your expectations.

Available at Village Antiques

Available at Village Antiques

The perfect solution might be an executive desk or a secretary-style desk.

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No. 4 – Pay Attention to Dimensions

While talking dimensions is not exciting, there is nothing worse than spending money and buying the wrong thing like a computer desk that is too big for a room.

Therefore, it’s important to have between three to five feet between the edge of your desk and the next piece of furniture, like a bed. This is so you have the freedom of moving around the desk.

When you’re searching for the right desk, get one that’s about 24” to 30” inches deep and around feet long, giving you plenty of work surface that doesn’t take too much room.

If you’re interested in a desk chair, have about 24 inches of clearance below the apron, so you can easily slide the chair underneath the desk.

For this reason, I don’t recommend L-shaped desks in a bedroom as it takes up too much space.

To measure out the ideal size of your desk:

1.If a measuring tape proves unhelpful, acquire a bed sheet

2.Lay it down

3.Aim for three to five feet of walking space around your desk.

4.Measure your bed sheet

No. 5 – The Finishing Touches

It’s not the biggest piece of furniture that makes the room, but all of the little details that make your home feel cozy.

In getting this coziness, think about what’s going to go with your desk. Get a beautiful chair or something comfortable for you to work in.

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Next, don’t forget about those finishing touches like a vintage style painting, beautiful lamp, and little décor touches that make your home feel like a home.

Bonus advice – think out of the box:

There’s no rule that says there’s one specific desk that fits all people and purposes.

Instead of rules, choose areas like home offices, or simply an empty wall in a bedroom, to bring out all those beautiful things that you love but you don’t know how to use, like a gorgeous old antique writing table. These are perfect all-in-one workstations from the 1800s to the present.

A secretary, one style of a farmhouse desk, is what I use in my home and have worked out of for the last decade.

A desk is also a great DIY project! You might have something right under your nose — a piece of furniture that may look old, outdated, or dingy. You can easily renovate your existing desk using our chalk finish paint, Amitha Verma Chalk Finish Paint, to create that farmhouse desk style.

Before:

After:

In this desk makeover project, we used:

1. Chantilly White, Amitha Verma Chalk Finish Paint

2. Protect Sealer

3. Enhance Antiquing Glaze in brown

Hopefully these tips will have you on the right track to selecting the perfect farmhouse desk for you.

Leave a comment and let me know which is your favorite tip, and if you have any more questions on how to select the perfect desk, leave those in the comments section as well.

Until the next time we meet, keep making your home beautiful with your design gifts!